Monday, July 30, 2012

It Is Enough


July 29th, 2012            “It is Enough”             Rev. Heather Jepsen
John 6:1-21 with Ephesians 3:14-21
          We will be leaving Mark behind for a while and spending the next few Sundays in the gospel of John.  In fact, we will be spending the next five Sundays simply working our way through chapter 6 of John’s gospel.  You will find that John is a lot different from Mark, much different.  In fact, John and Mark are probably two ends on a gospel spectrum.  Mark has a relatively low Christology (or view of Jesus as God) where John has a very high Christology (making very clear that Jesus is God).  Mark writes in very short snippets and John’s stories are longer and more complicated with lots of hidden meaning.  Together they offer different yet complimentary views of who Jesus the Christ is.
          This morning’s reading from John covers two of the most famous miracle stories about Jesus; the feeding of the crowds and walking on water.  The writer of John spends a lot of time discussing signs that Jesus does.  These signs are ways of showing those in the story and the reader just who Jesus is. 
          In the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus is being followed by a large crowd.  Jesus asks Phillip how they are going to feed everyone.  It is a trick question really as the writer of John tells us that Jesus already knew what he was going to do, he already knew that this was an opportunity for one of his signs.  Poor Phillip looks around, does the math in his head, and finds that it would take at least 6 months wages to feed everyone, as if they could even find a market that could handle such an order.  Phillip is practical, there is just no way to solve this problem.
          Andrew seems to have already anticipated such trouble and has gone through the crowd looking for a possible food source for sharing.  All he finds is a small boy’s lunch, five barley loaves and two fish.  “But what are they among so many?”  Andrew has examined the resources and what they need simply is not available. 
          Jesus instructs the crowd to sit, blesses the food, and distributes it.  Unlike some other tellings of this story, the disciples do not help with distribution.  The food passes through Jesus’ hands alone, as this miracle is about his ability to multiply the offering.  All are fed, all are full, and the disciples gather up 12 baskets of crust and fish tails; much more than they even began with.
          Right away the crowd senses that Jesus is something special.  The writer of John tells us that they try to seize Jesus and make him king.  And why not?  If this guy can make a free lunch, let’s put him in charge and see what else he can do!  Jesus withdraws from the crowds and the scene changes.
          The disciples are in a boat on the water without Jesus when a storm arises.  The writer of John tells us that they are not afraid of the storm, but they are afraid of Jesus when they see him walking towards the boat on the surface of the water.  Jesus cries out, “Ego emi” or “I am, be not afraid”.  He is basically saying, “It’s me” and “I’m God” at the same time.  Unlike other boat stories Jesus doesn’t calm the storm.  In a mysterious twist the disciples try to take him into the boat when suddenly they are at the other side of the lake.  It is as if they see Jesus, they reach out to him, they blink their eyes, and the boat ride is over.
          The writer of the gospel of John tells us these stories so that we will know who Jesus is.  The feeding story is easy to understand, Jesus is the one who sees the needs of the people and is able to feed them all with a meager offering. The boat story is harder, as Jesus appears to be the one who can manipulate time and matter.  The writer of John wants the reader to know that Jesus is not like a man, rather Jesus is like God.  In fact, Jesus is God; hence the “I am” statement so reminiscent of God’s voice from the flaming bush.
          As modern believers I think we sometimes struggle with these miracle stories.  What once was used to draw people into the faith, or to convince them that Jesus is worthy of their belief, now is actually a bit of a turn off.  The Jesus who feeds thousands and the Jesus who walks on water is sometimes harder to believe in than the Jesus who heals or the Jesus who challenges authority.  It is easier to relate to Jesus the man than it is to Jesus the God.
          I have found that modern people of faith, especially Presbyterians aren’t really interested in telling stories about miracles.  What they are interested in is making a real difference in the world.  They aren’t really interested in convincing people to become Christians.  They are really interested in helping where they perceive there is a need.  We want to give people real bread, and if they get spiritual nourishment as well, that’s just a bonus.
           I think these miracle stories can speak even into this mindset.  When we are looking to address the needs of the world around us, we find that those needs are great.  In fact, there is a vast yawning chasm of need here in our own community.  From the Food Pantry to the homeless project, from survival house to hospice, from those looking for a job to those struggling to make ends meet, from the sick to the dying the need here in Warrensburg is vast.  If we look beyond our community the need simply grows.  From the ravages of drought to the scars of gun violence, from the broken economy to the lies of another election cycle, from the endless wars overseas to the unrest here at home; our country is a grand canyon of need.  In the whole world we find hunger and pain; in famine and war, crippling poverty and corrupt governments, broken systems and broken people.  It seems as if the world is nothing but one great downward spiral.
          The Christ the author of John shows us, the Christ who is more God than man, is a Christ who can address this need.  When we look at the needs around us, and we look down at our meager loaves and fish, we are tempted to say “But what are they among so many people?”  I have such a small offering to give, what difference will it make in the face of such suffering?  The author of John tells us that such a meager offering will make all the difference in the world, for in the hands of Christ, this offering will grow to fit the need, in the hands of Christ, our small offering is enough.
          I think it can be easy for us as individuals and as a church to loose heart.  We are like Phillip, we look around and calculate the need, and then simply state, we can’t do it.  We are like Andrew, examining the budget and declaring that there is a limit, this is all we have for mission.  If the Christ is not among us to multiply the offering, we would have to give up.
          I am going to jump to the letter to the Ephesians now.  Here we find a prayer for the church, and I think it is just the prayer we need to hear.  The writer prays that the church would be filled with the power of Christ.  Our inner being would be strengthened through his Spirit, that we would be rooted and grounded in love, that we would be filled with the fullness of God.
          This is not a prayer of scarcity; it is a prayer of abundance.  If Christ is among us we will be OK, we will have enough to give, we will give enough, and we will make a difference.  If we are rooted and grounded in love we will be like a tree reaching deep into the soil.  Nothing, not even the limits of our own offerings will be able to blow us down.  When we look at the deep hunger of the crowds, what better prayer is there than that we would be filled with the fullness of God?  We can then go out into the world and share that fullness with those who hunger.
          You see the church is more than what it looks like on paper.  And it is more than what it appears to the eye.  We are more than the budget we draw up or the amount of interest we earn on our investments.  We are more than this worship place with its stained glass windows and comfy pews.  We are more than simply those that attend worship and those who didn’t make it today.  In Christ the church is more than the sum of its parts, in Christ we are filled with the fullness of God, in Christ we can do anything.
          When we look at the hungry crowds around us, when we look at the world’s need, and Jesus asks us what are we going to do, we should confidently offer up all that we have.  For the Jesus of the gospel of John already has big plans for our meager loaves and fish.  Through our small offerings, of time and money, big differences are made.  Big differences are made in Malawi, and big differences are made in Warrensburg.  When we give what we have, our money and ourselves, to those in need, we find that even the smallest offering can make a huge impact.  In the hands of the Christ our loaves and fish can feed thousands.  In the hands of the Christ what looks like nothing becomes something.  In the hands of the Christ, not enough becomes enough.
          As we spend a month reading John chapter six we will discover that this is who Jesus the Christ is.  Jesus is the one who can walk on water, the one who can manipulate time and space.  Jesus is the one who can multiply matter, the one who can turn five loaves into five thousand.  Jesus is the one who creates abundance from scarcity.  Jesus is the one who takes what we have to give and makes it enough.  The writer of John wants us to know that Jesus is the one who performs miracles and signs, so that we might see who he is and come to believe.  It is this belief and hope which helps us make a difference.  It is this Jesus the Christ who makes our small offering into enough.  Thanks be to God for miracles.  Amen. 

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Praise God with the Harp


July 22nd, 2012         “Praise God with the Harp”      Rev. Heather Jepsen         
Psalm 150 and 1 Samuel 16:23
Isn’t music wonderful!  Music is such an important part of our worship and it is an important part of the life of the church.  I have really enjoyed the way that this church in particular values music.  From our wonderful choir and organ, to sharing our individual talents in worship, to exploring new hymns together, this church is rich in musical talent.
          Our reading from the Psalms reminds us that music has a special place in the worship of our God.  Psalm 150, the final psalm of the psalter is all about unrelenting praise to God.  It is a unique psalm in that it doesn’t fit the pattern of most praise psalms.  Songs of praise in the psalter usually consist of commandments to praise followed by the reasons one should praise God.  Here we are given no reasons, we are just told to praise God with our music. 
          Theologian Walter Brueggemann writes that “This psalm is a determined, enthusiastic, uninterrupted, relentless, unrelieved summons which will not be content until all creatures, all of life, are “ready and willing” to participate in an unending song of praise that is sung without reserve or qualification.  The Psalm expresses a lyrical self-abandonment, an utter yielding of the self, without vested interest, calculation, desire, or hidden agenda.”
          Just praise God, the psalm seems to say.  Use whatever you’ve got.  The trumpet, the drums, shouts of joy, the clapping of hands, the music of the harp, and even your breath.  Put your all into it and praise the Lord! 
This Psalm was as meaningful in the first communities it was sung as it is in our own time now.  The call to bring the whole of who we are, especially our gifts of music to worship, is a call we can still understand and rejoice in.  Elsewhere in the psalms even folks that might not consider themselves musically talented are called to make a joyful noise to the Lord.
          In our reading from 1st Samuel we are reminded of David’s original role in the leadership of Israel.  David was the court musician.  When the Lord rejected Saul and chose David as king over Israel, Saul became plagued by evil spirits.  Before his time on the throne, David was called in to play music for Saul.  It is well known that David was a musician and song writer.  Here we read that while he would play the harp, the evil spirits would leave Saul and he was relieved.  Music made him feel better.
          This is the case with us today as well.  Music just makes us feel better.  Many folks surround themselves with music as a way of keeping themselves relaxed.  Personally I almost always have music playing in the car (love 90.9!) and I frequently have it playing in my office here at the church. 
When we gather together in church we get to hear live music performed.  Something different, special, and wonderful happens when we hear a live musician versus a recording.  When a community is gathered for a concert or to share music in worship, together they enter into a shared space, a shared event.  There is a certain energy in live music.  It is beautiful, it is exciting, and it is a gift from God.  In the gospels we read that where two or three are gathered God is present among us.  I think this is felt most clearly when we gather to share our music.
I really love this passage about David playing the harp for Saul.  There is something in particular about harp music that has the power to sooth our spirits.  As a pastor and preacher I have to admit that there is power in the harp.  For me, to share the harp in worship is a vehicle to bring the presence of God to you in a way that a spoken sermon never can.
I believe that the power of music in our worship is equal to the power of the spoken sermon.  When we rejoice in singing hymns we participate in worship and give our hearts to God in an exciting personal way.  When we sit and listen to music, we meditate and God speaks to us in ways that go beyond our understanding.  Words and thoughts are great in church, but sometimes it is best to just sit here and be. 
The call from the psalmist to praise God with even our very breath, is a call to bring the whole of who we are to worship.  Today, in the spirit of giving my all to the Lord, I am praising God with the spoken word and with the harp.  Today I am bringing two gifts, my two talents, and placing them in the offering plate.  I have preached the word as I see it, inspired by the psalmist and the figure of David.  I will now preach the word in music. 
          I invite you to close your eyes, to listen, to let the spirit of God touch your heart in a way that goes beyond the words of sermon or scripture, in a way that goes beyond the workings of the mind. 
          “And whenever David took the harp and played, Saul would be relieved and would feel better.”
          May God speak to us in deep and profound ways in this and in all our moments of music not only in worship, but also out in our world.  Amen.
(At this point I sat down and played Debussy's "Girl with the Flaxen Hair" on the harp)

Monday, July 16, 2012

A Terrible Wonderful Faith


July 15th, 2012         “A Terrible Wonderful Faith”       Rev. Heather Jepsen
2 Samuel 6 and Mark 6:14-29
          Boy, what a lot of mess and drama we find in our readings this week.  After last Sunday’s quiet discussion of service and the role of the deacon, this week’s readings seem to come out of left field.  From the sudden death of Uzzah, to the revealing dance moves of king David, to the gruesome scene of John the Baptist’s head on a platter this Sunday’s readings are quite shocking.  I wouldn’t be surprised if someone argued that subjects like we find in this week’s lectionary readings aren’t appropriate to discuss in church.
          We will start with the Old Testament reading.  David is ready to consolidate power in Jerusalem, the city of David, and an important part of that ceremony is bringing in the ark.  The ark is placed on a cart, proper attire and ceremony are followed, and before long it’s on its way.  That is of course until it crosses a threshing floor.  The oxen stumble, the ark rattles and begins to fall, and like any caring Israelite, Uzzah automatically reaches out his hand to steady the ark. 
          Zap!  He is dead on the spot.  Talk about a party pooper.  Everyone is in shock and David is angry and afraid.  He’s not so sure he wants this ark around after all if accidents like that can happen.  So David changes his mind about the ark.  He leaves it in the home of a foreigner, Obed-edom the Gittite and heads back to Jerusalem without the great presence of God.  For three months David takes a break and considers just how close he wants to be to God.
          Of course, where God is there is blessing, and it doesn’t take long for the house of Obed-edom to show it.  “Wait a minute,” David thinks, “that blessing should be mine!”  So the ark is once again on the move.  This time David rejoices with great abandon, dancing about in a linen ephod with such exuberance that he inadvertently flashes folks.  Well, that won’t go over well with the wife back home.
          David’s wife Michal is none too pleased with any of this.  She is the daughter of Saul so perhaps she harbors a grudge against David for taking the place that once belonged to her father.  Perhaps she is jealous of the way David is able to rejoice so freely before God.  Perhaps she is simply embarrassed to be married to someone who has flashed most of the city.  Either way, after the ceremony the two get into a fight.  And it is a fight that appears unresolved as we are told Michal and David never had a child together. 
          As if that wasn’t enough drama and scandal for one Sunday, our reading is paired with an equally scandalous reading from Mark.  Mark is writing about folks wondering who Jesus is, perhaps Elijah or John the Baptist back from the dead, when he seems to remember that he has yet to tell us how John the Baptist died.  Mark then goes into a very detailed account of the death of John the Baptist.  For the shortest gospel, Mark provides the longest account of the death of John the Baptist.  His is a story clearly honed over many retellings around the camp fire.
          According to Mark, Herod is the one who finally arrested John the prophet and troublemaker.  The story gets messy right away when we find out that Herod had married his brother’s wife Herodias.  The historian Josephus tells us that Herod began the affair when visiting his brother’s house.  John of course speaks out against such a union.  Herod may not be a practicing Jew but he is a Jew nonetheless and though he may love Herodias, a marriage to her is not appropriate.
          Herod can’t have John out and about speaking against his rule and so he has him arrested and put in prison.  But Herod is drawn to John, John interests him, and Mark tells us that Herod was perplexed by John but liked to listen to him preach.  I can just imagine Herod sneaking away during the days to visit with John in prison.
          But this cozy arrangement won’t last long.  Herodias is most definitely not enamored with John and not interested at all in his teaching.  Mark tells us that she had a grudge against John and wanted him dead.  Have no doubt; she will strike at the first opportunity given.
          Herod throws a party for friends and officers, basically the mucky mucks of Galilee, and entertainment is provided by Herodias’ daughter, Herod’s niece and step-daughter.  Mark calls her Herodias as well but she is known in other sources as Salome.  Like David, Salome dances her heart out, but unlike David her goal is not the glory of God.  In art and story, Salome’s dance is often sexualized, a dance of the seven veils if you will. 
          Herod and his guests are impressed by Salome’s beauty and talent for seduction; and in a grand show Herod offers her anything she may request.  Herod clearly is thinking of gifts of wealth as he offers her half his kingdom.  Salome looks to her mother for advice and now Herodias sees her moment to strike.  What better gift for the daughter of Herodias then the head of John the Baptist?
          Herod is now in a bind.  He has the option of standing up for what he knows is right and protecting the life of one he has grown fond of.  But that choice comes at a cost, namely his pride as he would have to go back on his word in front of all those at his party.  The choice to save John would probably also cost him his marriage.  Herod goes with what is easy, not with what is right and consents with the request.  John is killed and as artists throughout the centuries have depicted Salome returns to the dinner party presenting his head on a platter.  This is definitely not a bedtime story.
          What is a preacher to say on these texts?  What can one say about such stories of broken hearts, violence, loss, and injustice?  Well, that’s life I suppose.
          Both of these stories serve to remind us that the Biblical narrative is as messy as our own lives are, if not messier.  Humans were created full of passion and drama.  It’s always been that way.  We have strong feelings about things and we live our lives in grand gestures of love as well as hate.  Our lives are dramas; they are stories, sometimes with happy endings, sometimes not.
          The constant throughout the Biblical narrative and in our own lives today is the presence of God.  It is a presence that I think we are simultaneously drawn to and repelled by.  In the story of David, we find David drawn to and pushed away from the presence of God.  David wants the ark in his presence and yet he fears its power; for good reason to, as he doesn’t want to end up like poor Uzzah.  David’s motives are varied.  Possession of the ark is possession of power, clearly a goal of David’s.  And yet the ark’s power is one that cannot be controlled, a power to be feared.  Although the ark brings blessing, it also brings conflict, for its arrival in Jerusalem signals the end of David’s marriage to Michal. 
          Like David, Herod is drawn to and repelled by the presence of God.  John the Baptist is clearly one on whom the spirit of the Lord has descended.  Herod is drawn to John, his power and his preaching.  Herod finds him to be an interesting companion and likes having him near, kept in the confines of his prison.  And yet Herod is at times repelled by John and the message he brings.  No one wants to have their sins called out in the open, and John certainly isn’t helping Herod’s marriage any.  Herod is both attracted to and put off by the spirit of the Lord that is in John.  This ambiguity will lead to Herod’s willingness to put John to death.
          I believe that like David and Herod we are simultaneously attracted to and afraid of a relationship with God.  The presence of God will bring us power and blessing, it will bring us knowledge and strength, and it will bring us comfort and peace.  The presence of God will also unsettle and disturb us, it will cost us dearly, and it will put us at risk.   Like David, we want to have God’s promise of blessing in our life, but we don’t really want to acknowledge how powerful and scary and absolute God can be.  Like Herod, we are drawn to the words of God’s grace and truth, but we don’t really want to hear about our sins and their consequences. 
          Deep in our hearts we are torn when it comes to God.  Just how much will those blessings cost me, we want to know.  Our fears are not comforted when we read the Biblical narrative, for those who give their all to God, like John the Baptist, and Jesus the Messiah, will lose everything, including their lives. 
          Although they are scary, and contain inappropriate material, these stories of David and Herod do have a place in the church.  They remind us of the mess and drama of every life.  Though the characters are different, your own messy life is not that different from your neighbors or even from mine.  We are all in this mess together.  And in the middle of our mess we are both drawn to and afraid of God.  Such is the nature of the journey of faith.  Sometimes we draw close, sometimes we turn away, but always we are in relationship.  The word of comfort in these stories is that God does not change.  Though we may come and go, God is always constant: waiting, loving, looking for us.  Such is the nature of grace; such is the life of faith.  Thanks be to God for this terrible, wonderful journey.  Amen.   
(This sermon is a bit of a dark place to go and so was purposely paired with the hymn "You are Mine" as a message from God to the believer in fear.  The chorus reads, Do not be afraid, I am with you.  I have called you each by name,  Come and follow me, I will bring you home; I love you and you are mine.")

Monday, July 9, 2012


July 8th, 2012                    “The First Deacon”                 Rev. Heather Jepsen

Mark 1:29-39

          As you know, we have been spending time in the gospel of Mark together this summer.  You may also know that I was out of the office most of the week to care for Olivia who was seriously ill.  Needless to say, my week was not conducive to sermon writing so today we are taking a break from the lectionary and jumping backward in the gospel of Mark. 

As we have been exploring the gospel together in worship, we have discovered that many readings are like today’s reading; they are a bunch of small stories smashed together.  That’s how Mark writes, in snippets with minimal detail.  Passages like this morning’s can be a real challenge to the preacher.  A preacher is overwhelmed by all the story lines.  From healing, to exorcism, Jesus praying alone, and the disciples’ confusion, from the faith of the crowds, to Jesus’ desire to spread his ministry, the options are endless.  This morning rather than trying to weave all these stories together, I am simply going to preach on one story.  I want to talk about the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, who I have come to think of as the first deacon.

          Now I hardly need to point out how slim the material is.  With only three verses we don’t have a lot to go on here.  But with a little study and imagination, this passage really opens up.  The reading opens by setting the scene.  Jesus and some of his new followers have left the synagogue and have gone over to Simon Peter’s house.  We can imagine that it was a long day, the men are excited about their new commitment to each other but they are tired.  I can just hear Peter saying, “Hey guys, my house is just around the corner.  Let’s go there, my mother-in-law is a great cook and I am sure she can fix us up a great fish dinner.”

          In our culture’s folklore mothers-in-law can sometimes be a bad thing, and I am sure there were some less than wonderful mothers-in-law in the ancient world, but Peter seems to have a pretty good relationship with his.  From what we know about the culture of the time we can probably assume that this woman was a widow.  After her husband’s death she moved in with her daughter and her daughter’s husband, that’s Peter, and Peter’s brother, Andrew.  In ancient Israel a mother-in-law was a handy addition to any household as she would carry most of the burden for keeping things tidy and keeping everyone fed.  Daughters and wives are busy with babies but mothers-in-law can ground the whole family.  As a matter of fact; in our own culture this arrangement was a topic of discussion just a few years ago when President Barack Obama invited his mother-in-law to live in the White House to help out with the family.

          But back to our story; to their certain dismay, Peter comes home to find that his mother-in-law is ill.  She is in bed with fever, which in those times was not a symptom of illness but rather an illness in itself; and one which was frequently thought to have been brought on by evil spirits.  Peter’s wife probably saw the men coming and came running out of the house to warn them.  If her mother was sick, the men should not enter the house.  To do so they would risk not only getting sick themselves, but they would risk the stigma of ritual uncleanliness which would then prevent them from going back to the synagogue.

          Now, any other group of men would probably turn around at this point, perhaps headed to the home of James and John.  But there is something different about this group, and that of course is the new guy, Jesus.  Jesus does not fear illness or ritual unlceanliness and so he chooses to enter the home.  This is a very intimate gesture on his part, for only a family member would enter the home of a sick person.  Jesus enters the home, crossing social and religious boundaries, and comes to the woman’s bedside taking her by the hand.  Again, for Jesus to touch a stranger that was ill is absolutely unheard of.  But, as we have come to know, this is who Jesus is.  He touches the woman, and immediately the fever leaves her and she is healed.

          And this is where something amazing happens, the woman is healed and she immediately gets out of bed and serves them all, friends and family.  Now I am sure there are quite a few women here who might be a bit taken aback by this.  Who wants to get straight up from their sick bed and get to work waiting on people?  But this is different, for at this point, to serve is an honor.

          Now, the Greek word that is translated as “serve” in the NRSV that I read from, or as “wait on them” if you are a reader of the NIV, that word is diakonei.  Now, this is a very important word in the gospel of Mark, and frankly the NIV’s translation, “wait on them” does not do the power of this word justice.  Diakonei, doesn’t just mean to serve someone, it means to minister to them.  The same word is used earlier in Mark 1:13 where the angels of the Lord minister to Jesus in the desert. 

          So, Peter’s mother-in-law rises from her sick bed, to minister to the guests in her home.  And she ministers to them, by serving them.  This is so significant, as she has become the first model of discipleship.  Later in the gospel of Mark, (starting at 10:44 if you are curious) Jesus will teach his followers that the greatest among them must be the servant and again the word used is a derivative of this word, diakonei.  This is the model of discipleship.  “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve”, again diakonei. 

          Peter’s mother-in-law is the first person to serve others, the first person to model true discipleship, and she is the first in a series of women who will become the hidden heroes in the gospel of Mark.  It is women, in the gospel of Mark, who most frequently present the correct response to Jesus’ message.  There is the widow with her two coins, the woman who anoints Jesus’ feet with costly nard, the women who gather at the cross, and the women who will come to the tomb Easter morning.  In Mark, it is the nameless women behind the scenes, who will get the message that Jesus is preaching; whereas the disciples of Jesus will frequently be confused.

          So, we have found this morning, that there really is a lot in these three simple verses of Mark’s gospel.  So often we forget the role that family played in the early days of the church.  Writing in the Christian Century magazine, author Lawrence Wood points out that “We probably haven’t thought enough about the family relationships behind the early church.  The disciples Simon Peter and Andrew were brothers, as were James and John.  Jesus had several brothers.  And several women named Mary seem to have had an unusually close relationship.  The early church was very much a family affair, which makes sense, because even today the church grows through relationships, one person at a time.”

          It is the family relationship where the early church got its start.  And Lawrence Wood sees Peter’s mother-in-law’s influence extending beyond this simple passage.  Again he imagines that, “This woman’s amazing recovery inspired Simon to leave his nets, leave Capernaum and follow Jesus.  He wouldn’t have been able to leave without her staying behind to watch over the family.  Even Simon’s wife would be hard-pressed to keep him home after what happened; we can imagine both women encouraging him to go in their stead.  Actually, years later, Simon’s wife accompanied him on apostolic journeys which we read about in 1 Corinthians.  And this suggests that his mother-in-law remained in the story, keeping watch over the home.”

          Peter’s mother-in-law is the first to serve, the first to diakonei, and if you haven’t guessed already, this Greek word, diakonei is the root of our own word deacon.  The deacon is the one who has chosen to minister to the church through service.  Our deacons serve our church in ministries of caring and compassion and this is the model that Jesus himself has given us for discipleship. 

          May these people, from Peter’s mother-in-law, to the other unnamed women of scripture, from the ladies and men of our churches today who serve as deacons and elders or who serve behind the scenes, may they all be an example to us.  For Christ has taught that he has come among us as one who serves, and that the true path of discipleship is the path of the deacon, the path of the servant.  Amen.

         

Monday, July 2, 2012


July 1st, 2012      “Plenty Jesus To Go Around”   Rev. Heather Jepsen

Mark 5:21-43

          Those who have been attending worship regularly this summer will know that we have been spending our time with Jesus in the gospel of Mark.  This morning we encounter a literary tool often found in Mark’s gospel; the sandwich story.  Today we have two miracle stories stuck together.  The bread, if you will, is the story of the healing of Jarius’ daughter.  The meat of this sandwich is the healing of the hemorrhaging woman.  The author of Mark has purposely put these two stories together to emphasize their key points.  The two stories inform each other and play off of each other.  It really is an interesting writing technique.

          We start out with Jesus returning from healing the demon possessed man in Gerasene.  He gets off the boat and immediately he is swamped by people.  This is nothing new; word of his miracles and teachings have spread throughout the area and people are naturally curious about the new healer on the block.  One person in particular is looking for Jesus and a miracle.  This of course is Jarius.

          Now Jarius is one of the leaders of the synagogue, so he is a head honcho of sorts.  This is a man who has power in the religious community; a religious community that we already know is not so sure about this new teacher.  Despite his position within the religious establishment, Jarius is moved to go against custom and is seeking Jesus’ help.  Jarius’ beloved daughter is very ill.  In fact at only 12 years old she is near death.  The age of 12 is when a young lady is on the verge of womanhood in Israelite culture so this would be a great loss.  Jarius is so moved by his need, and so confident in the powers of Jesus, that he throws himself at his feet and begs for help. 

We have to recognize here that this is a leader of the community, a powerful wealthy person, who is throwing himself at the feet of Jesus.  And not just in private, but in public amidst the crowd.  Many would see this and interpret it as a sign of weakness on Jarius’ part; it is certainly a risky move for him.  But really, who wouldn’t risk everything for the life of their child?  Fortunately Jarius is heard, Jesus is moved by his request and the faith he shows, and follows him home.

          But here comes the sandwich; as they are walking through the crowd another person has their eye on a miracle from Jesus.  This person is the exact opposite of Jarius; this is the hemorrhaging woman on the bottom of the social scale.  Here we have a woman who has been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years; now that’s a long time.  In fact, that’s as long as Jarius’ daughter has been alive.  Because of this woman’s condition, she would have been declared unclean and untouchable by the Jewish community.  She would have been an outcast; living on the fringes of society.  If she had any family at all she would not have been able to be with them.  This woman has been alone and suffering for twelve long years.  She has spent every penny she had on cures for this illness, cures for what isolates her, but nothing has worked.  In fact it has only caused her more suffering.  This woman is the lowest of the low, so low in fact that she is not even given a name, she is only known by her ghastly condition.

          This woman, this nothing of a person, has also heard of Jesus and like Jarius’ she seeks healing from him.  But unlike Jarius she is in a bind.  Because she is unclean she can not touch him and he can not touch her.  According to law if Jesus were to touch her he would become unclean too.  This woman is afraid to ask for Jesus’ help, because if he touches her to heal her she thinks he may lose his powers because she is unclean.  But, Jesus is her last hope, her only hope, and the potential for healing is worth everything.  So the woman takes a big risk and comes up behind him in the crowd.  In faith she reaches out and just touches the fringe of this cloak “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.”

          And as we know she is.  The woman is healed by her contact with the healer.  But Jesus is aware that something has happened and he is eager to know who has touched him.  Jesus wants to know who has touched him in such a way, who was it who touched him with hands of faith.  It is not that he is angry or upset; rather Jesus desires to have relationship with this person who has shown such strong faith in him.  He surveys the crowd and questions the disciples “Who touched my clothes?”

          And of course the disciples say “Are you kidding me?  Look around Jesus! There are people pressing in on all sides, how can you ask that?”  Now here some people like to get on the disciples’ case for not understanding, and there are plenty of opportunities for that in the gospels, but this time I really think they have a point.  You know in a big crowd everybody is bumping up against everybody, and some of the disciples are probably even bumping up against Jesus.  How would anyone know who touched him?

          But this woman was caught, and Jesus is looking around for her, and she is afraid.  She has a lot to fear, especially from the crowd around her.  She shouldn’t even be there and anyone she bumped into in the crowd is now officially unclean.  If the mob finds out she has been in their midst she could be stoned.  And so here, at this point, she could have run, she could have slipped back through the crowd unseen and escaped.  She could have taken her healing and hit the streets as others in the gospels do.  But she doesn’t, she comes forward and she confesses, begging mercy from Jesus and from the mob. 

She falls at Jesus’ feet (like Jarius) and tells him the whole truth.  And I am sure her heart was racing, unsure of what this teacher may do, unsure of how the crowd will react.  What Jesus does here will determine the reaction from the crowd and mercifully Jesus comes to her in love.  He responds to her with the love of God that is within him, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”  Not a stoning, not a reprimand, rather a healing and a blessing.  In calling her daughter and showing her grace, Jesus has restored the woman to the community.   Now the unnamed woman can return to her previous life and find her name again.  Jesus has given her new life, resurrection.

          Now while this is a lovely miracle, and a fine example of the bold faith of one woman, this whole scene has got to be killing Jarius.  Here is this guy who waited by the edge of the water all day for Jesus to get back.  Jarius finally works his way through the crowd to get Jesus’ attention and on the way to his house they get stopped.  Jarius has no time for this, his daughter is going to die, his errand is urgent.  And on top of that, for this synagogue ruler to be interrupted by an unclean woman is an insult.  Jarius probably knew her; he had probably seen her on the outskirts of town.  Everyone knows who the unclean are so they can avoid them.  She was a nothing.  And now because of her they have gotten stopped up.  My guess is that at this point Jarius would be really frustrated.  How could a Jewish teacher put the needs of the unclean before the needs of a synagogue ruler?

          And of course Jarius’s fears are well founded.  It’s not long before messengers arrive with tears in their eyes.  They don’t even have to speak for Jarius to know in his heart what has happened, his time has run out.  “Why bother the teacher anymore?”  I am certain that Jarius was crushed; he probably crumpled to the ground then and there heartbroken in his grief.  It was over, he was too late.

          But Jesus has one more miracle up his sleeve, in fact, there’s plenty Jesus to go around.  “Come on Jarius, do not fear, only believe.”  And off they go to the house which is already full of mourners.  They enter the room and there she is, lying on her death bed.  And Jesus touches her.  Now just like the hemorrhaging woman this child is unclean because she is dead, and therefore no one can touch her without also becoming unclean.  Here we have Jesus once again transgressing boundaries and reaching out to touch what is untouchable.  Jesus touches her, he takes her by the hand, and he speaks “Little girl, get up!”  And she does.  She rises from the dead, she is given new life, and her rising foreshadows Jesus’ own rising which is to come.  Now, give her something to eat.

          There are several things which catch my attention in these stories.  The biggest one is the reversal of social order.  In our world those with more, those with wealth, power, and prestige, are favored.  They get what they want and they get it first.  Those with nothing, those on the fringe of society, the poor and powerless, if they get anything at all they get it last.  In our story this morning Jarius should have been first, he had power and wealth.  And the hemorrhaging woman should have been last; she was an outcast and had nothing.  But in the kingdom of God the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

          Now when I have preached this story in the past, I think my heart has focused on that unclean woman.  My heart and my sermon have said that God has a preferential option for the poor, God likes the poor best and works for them first.  God is always rooting for the underdog.  And to be honest, in my ministry I have tried to root for the underdog as well, hoping that this puts me on the same side as God.

          But when I read and studied the story this week, I was thinking more about Jarius.  Perhaps it’s because I am a parent now; or perhaps because these days I am a lot more like a synagogue ruler or a religious authority than I am like an unnamed woman.  When I read the text this week I noticed that though he has to wait his turn, Jarius gets his miracle to.  And that got me thinking that there is always plenty Jesus to go around.

          Now we all know those pastors and churches that speak as if they are the only ones with the right answers.  Boy, we like to shake our heads at them.  But sometimes I think deep in our hearts, we too think we are the ones with the right answers.  I know I sure think I am doing church the “right” way.

          This scripture reminded me this week that there’s plenty Jesus to go around.  That we can have our sense of Jesus with us, but that Jesus can also be with the Episcopalians, the Methodists, Northside Christian, and even Big Baptist.  Jesus can be with me when I meditate in the sanctuary just as well as he is with those TV preachers and those loud guys on the radio.  Now I might disagree with those radio preachers about the fine points of the faith, just as I am sure the hemorrhaging woman disagreed with Jarius about whether or not she was able to attend worship.  But that doesn’t mean those guys don’t have Jesus.  There’s plenty Jesus to go around.

          So this week, let us be mindful, that even us “liberal” folks, who always side with the hemorrhaging woman, aren’t the only ones who have Jesus on our side.  Just like the conservative folk, we are tempted to think we are the ones with the “right” way of doing things.  Our reading from Mark reminds us that Jesus is not just on the side of the outsider, he is also on the side of the insider.  Though Jesus is working for the little guy he can also be with the big guy.  Just as Jesus helps the hemorrhaging woman and the outcast in society; he helps the synagogue ruler and the mega-church pastor.  This week, let us remember and give thanks that there’s plenty Jesus to go around.  Amen.